Persevere

Flight

Anticipation

Girls!

I have become enamored with making ATCs as of late to trade with other ladies and as a quick gratification project, so I thought I should share them here too. My goal is to be able to make some art to actually display in my home...have the big canvases, but can't make the leap.  I am going smaller instead of bigger lol!  Oh well, all things in due time I suppose.   As we are preparing to leave the island, it seems like life has opened up more here.  I have finally found a groove and regular fellowship...right before it's time to go.  That happened in GA also...ironic.  I am learning more and more to be content in the present even though that is always changing.  God is amazingly patient and gracious to continue to work in and on me...and is faithful to bring whatever it takes into my life to accomplish that.  There are so many wonderful things to learn in the every circumstance whether good, or awkward.  I am so very thankful for the gifts and abilities that God has given me and strive more and more to use them to glorify Him and to bless others.  I am also exceedingly thankful for those who do love and encourage me in spite of my many flaws and gabby jaws!  At any rate, thanks for stopping by and I hope that you are making something beautiful no matter how big or small.  

Gelli Fish!

This is a water-color journal that I made for a friend using my new favorite fun tool the Gelli Plate.  I guess mono printing has been around for a long time, but this commercial plate has made it more accessible the crafting masses.  I have not always enjoyed the latest crafting craze as much as I'd hoped, but this little baby is a TON of fun.  This is crazy bright and whimsical ..hopefully my friend will like it.  I think so, since she is a native to Hawaii and loves vivid colors.  She also has creative writing skills, so I am hoping that this will become a fun fictional story book to share with her grand children. I coated the inner pages with gesso and plan to include some water color crayons to use for her illustrations.  She has been a blessing to me during our time here, so I want to bless her.  Thanks for stopping by, and I encourage you to use your gifts  to bless others, enjoy the process and thank God in all things because every good gift comes from Him!

True Love...

I made this super CAS card for my husband today.  He was so sweet to have flowers delivered for me today, so I thought maybe I should show my appreciation by doing more than just conquering mount "washmore" today ;0).  I haven't made many cards over the last year and a half, so I enjoyed the opportunity to make this one, and I know that Chip will love that I took the time to do it for him.  I thank God EVERY day for this blessed union with Christ as our Lord.  It is in Him that we have such love and appreciation for one another.   I was a few weeks shy of turning 40 when we were married.  I had given up on true love and was resigned to a single life.  How amazing is it that my heavenly father had such better plans for me?  Happy Valentine's day and I pray that you have TRUE LOVE in your life through Christ.

Glue Gun Holder...

I have been looking at hot glue gun holders on eBay for almost a year, and finally convinced my husband to make one for me!  I LOVE it and think mine is way cooler than the ones I was looking at ;0).  Because he took the time to make it just so, I chose to keep the embellishments pretty clean also by using the gorgeous rub on from my stash. He used a piece of wood and spray paint that we had on hand and  I found the perfect size and color cup for the glue sticks at Target for $1--score!  He was able to make this in no time at all by going over to the wood shop on post and so it was a win-win.  He got to "play" with all the cool tools and I got a sweet new accessory for my craft desk.  It also happened to be our 6h anniversary.  We stayed home and grilled steaks and I can't imagine a more perfect way to spend the day with the one I love! It was a cost effective, but JOYFUL day.
I also want to just thank you guys SO MUCH...your comments and care bless me beyond words.  It is a joy and privilege to share little snippets of my art and life with you.  
As I begin to prepare for our retirement move, I plan to seriously clean out my craft room and will offer up some of my stash in the weeks ahead, so be on the lookout if you are interested!  May the Lord bless and keep you :0)

Hope

I made this sweet little canvas the other day from a class taken in the fall that I never got around to finishing!  Junelle Jacobsen is super sweet and talented and I always enjoy learning from her.  This project seemed so fitting for me and I love how it fits perfectly into my room decor and into my thought process as I continually reevaluate my source of peace.  It does NOT come from my circumstances, but from the promises of God found in scripture.  I do not walk this out perfectly and have been tried and tested physically this year like never in my life.  I have been tired, weak and even weepy on several occasions, but I have not fainted or faltered for long because of the hope I have in Christ alone.  I am still on the road to recovery from a silly gardening accident...it has really helped me to understand just how quickly things can change.  Speaking of changes, there are many big changes on the horizon for my family in the coming months.  I am not sure how that is going to affect my blog...I have been praying for some time about the direction I would like to take here.  There are many blogs with beautiful art and I know several women who are so gifted at giving an uplifting devotion.  I am just here sharing honestly about my love for God, my family and crafting.  We shall see what the future holds...I do have some small secret dreams for the future, but it is whatever the Lord wills for me.  For now I would like to end by sharing this verse about hope: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13

Gelli plate play...

I purchased a Gelli plate a couple months ago and finally sat down and played with it the other day.  These are a few of the pages in process that resulted from it. I am planning to make an art journal with them to continue to fine tune them and also write my thoughts/prayers in.   If you are curious to know about the Gelli plate, here is a video with one of my current favorite artists showing exactly how it works--Gelli Arts Monoprinting Plate Tutorial I really enjoyed just randomly getting my paper, hands and table all messy and let the saturation of color take its own natural progression.  I bought a small folding table the last time we were at Costco for just this purpose and it worked out great. The rest of the story is about my leg wound saga..I have shared some on Facebook, but not here.  On November 30th I inured my left leg while working on our back patio.  I immediately knew I would be making a trip to the hospital because of the nature and severity of the puncture wound (from the pointy end of the pick axe I was using.)  What I did NOT know is that it would last for months and continue to escalate to the point of needing surgical intervention and a hospital stay.  I still have a way to go before being completely mobile and functional...as such I have not been able to craft much.  The time I spent at Christmas was painful and I paid for it!   I have missed being creative, and my completely adoring husband set up a place me to prop my leg under the table so that I could play in paint for a while--which was very enjoyable.  Those are the kinds of tender kindnesses that he is so good at showing, and they cause me to  appreciate him even more than I already do.  He "gets me" and shows me love in every way he can...I do not deserve such a wonderful husband, but am very grateful to God that I don't get what I truly deserve in any aspect of my life. In His sovereignty He has chosen me for His own and continues to use ALL things for my good and His glory.  It is my growing understanding that in the good, bad, painful, fun, sorrowful and beautiful aspects of daily life....NONE compares to the joy and the hope that I have in Christ alone.  It is my prayer and deepest desire to be more and more consistent in ascribing to the Lord the glory due His name in every circumstance.